I bought my son an air soft rifle from hobbytron.com for Christmas. We received it and it did not come with the laser scope as advertised. So, I called the number on my paper work about 7 times, leaving message some of those times. Since they don't give you an email address, the only other way to try and contact them is by going to their web site and filling out a form. I finally gave up and called VISA about refunding the money to my card. I am now working with my bank and VISA to try and get my money back (which is another story working with VISA). This has been going on now since about the week after Christmas and today is 2/26/2010.

Here's the deal. hobbytron has this policy where you can only return unopened packages. So, you will need to have your purchase x-rayed to make sure everything is there before you open it. After my son saw that it wasn't all there and saw that the quality wasn't what he expected, he just wanted to send it back.

I decided to try again today to contact hobbytron and finally got to talk to a live person. They informed me of their policy and I told them they have a pretty good racket. They also tried to tell me that the picture is not always what you get. I said why does it also say it comes with a laser scope then? They then tried to tell me that customs takes out the laser scopes and they have no control over that. So, I said if you know that, why do you say it comes with a laser scope when you know it doesn't? They even had the nerve to say something to the effect that they couldn't control what was on THEIR web site. I even asked them - well what if you had sent me an empty box and I opened it, I would just be out of luck? After I called them on all of this, they said they could give me a refund of $2 and I could get a laser scope for $1 on my own.

I told them not to credit me for the $2 because I am going to pursue this from other angles. This is the worst company I have ever had to deal with on the Internet. I am going to contact The BBB along with other consumer advocacy's. It's more than about the money at this point. I'll try and make sure that the $39 they are ripping me off is far less than what they are going to lose from other potential buyers.

Now a little word about VISA. I have been working with my bank who then has to go to VISA, because VISA will not deal with individuals. Now VISA is wanting me to send back my purchase with proof that I mailed it before they will even call hobbytron. First hobbytron clearly states they will not accept returns with out a RMA#, which of course they will not give you anyway. I am not going to pay to send something back that VISA will not guarantee me they will put the money back into my account, much less another shipping fee I will be out. Then I could end up with nothing.

So, it's a pretty sweet deal to run a company where you can ship out misrepresented items from your web site with a no return policy. They should franchise that concept. I just don't get it. Where are the laws to protect the buyers especially with VISA?

So, only buy from the Amazon's or well known reputable companies or use a payment method that guarantees you have received what you ordered before they release the money to the merchant. I thought I was covered by using my VISA card, but it is a circus working with VISA. They still want me to ship it back to a company that says they won't accept it, before VISA will even call hobbytron. It is just so stupid, the way some things in this world work. I have written two letters to VISA at their requests stating all of this along with a picture from their website of my purchase along with the description from their web site telling that it comes with a laser scope. The funny thing is that when I spoke to VISA, they said they couldn't talk to me because they couldn't verify that I am who I say I am. I wonder how they knew who I was when they issued my credit card?

One other thing, that fact that hobbytron says their laser scope is only worth $2 or $1 if I go buy one, should tell you something about the product they are selling.

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